Golf ball



A. S. CHATFIELD.

GOLF BALL- APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 19, 1919.

1,426,? 12," I Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

' GOLF BALL.

Application filed. September 19, 19 19.

To all whom it may cm'icern it known that I, AUeUsTUs S. CHAT- FIELD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of city of New. iorlr, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Golf Balls, of Which the following is a.

- center of gravity of the ball is at its geospecification.

My invention relates to balls of the type used in sports and is particularly adapted to be embodied ingolf balls.

Golf balls were originally constructed of solid gutta percha, and one of the first improvements therein was the use of a layer of rubber about a hollow center, the rubber ordinarily being covered by a relatively stiff hard material to preserve the necessary rigidity and weight of the ball.

Golf balls, however, are subject to very heavy blows in ordinary use, and it was found that the hollow ball with a rubber shell became distorted to such an extent that the exterior covering cracked and peeled off after a very short period of use. I

, Furthermore, while considerable resiliency is necessary to obtain, proper length when driving, an ideal ball must be so constructed that practically none of this resiliency is operative when. the ball is putted, as a relatively rigid, unyielding ball insures the greatest a -curacy and steadiness in the putting green. Balls previously produced having a rubber layer with a hollow center have been so resilient that their putting qualities were seriouslyimpaired.

The aim of golf ball manufacturers is consequently to produce a ball having the maximum of. resiliency under driving conditions, and the maximum. of rigidity when putted. l V

The object of my invention is to produce a ball combining these advantages. I also utilize the rubber shell about a hollow center, obtaining the long driving qualities inherent in such construction, and add thereto means for greatly increasing the rigidity of the ball to avoid the putting deficiencies above noted. I

A. further object of my invention isto provide a ball having ahollow center, and to reinforce the outer walls thereof to provide the necessary rigidity. Another feature of my invention is the construction of a ball having a compressed fluid at its center, and having reenforcing means for sus- Specification of Letters 'Patent,

Patented fir tl 22, 19%2.

Serial No. 324,774.

taining and supporting the walls about the fluid, together with means forinsurmg even pressure of the fluid against the walls when the ball is subjected to heavy impact. Moreover, I provide a ball having transverse supports extending across a hollow central portion so arranged and constructed that the cluding a heavier element or weight located in the, ball, said weight being preferably composed of metal, variations in size of said ielement enabling the manufacturer to control the weight of the ball accurately so as to suit varying tastes of different users.

I also provide a construction by which said weight is correctly and permanently located at the exact center of the ball so that it will not produce irregularities in the flight of the ball.

I In the specific embodiment of my invention, I have also provided a plurality of separate compartments spaced about the center of the ball and have provided connected passages between the compartments to insure equal air pressure against the walls of all the compartments when the ball is subjected to impact. Other objects and ad vantages of my construction will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through the middle of the ball, and

Figure 2 is a perspective view of half of a ball, out on the same plane as Fig. 1.

v I have disclosed a golf ball preferably having the usual outer shell or cover 10 which may be composed of gutta percha, balataor similarsubstances adapted to give the ball the requisite rigidity and yet having sufiicient resiliency fordriving. I

I have provided an inner wall 11 preferably composed of rubber of any desired thickness, this "wall 11 being particularly designed to produce the high degree of resiliency so desirable in driving. While I have'shown wall 11 as composed of a single art, may be employed, such vas'walls com- I heavy impact.

permit the immediate equalization of posed of a plurality of windings of rubber strips under tension; and such construction may be employed without departing from my invention. If desired, wall 11 may be composed of sponge, porous or crude rubber. The construction of the ball as so far described is similar to that of previous balls having too great resiliency for practical use; and I provide means for rendering the ball substantially rigid to light impact without materially diminishing its'resiliency under For this purpose I preferably provide radial pillars or partitions 12, composed of resilient material, such as rubber, andproportioned to provide the requisite degree of'stifiness to the walls 10 and 11.

'It will be apparent that this construction permits accurate variation in the resiliency ofthe ball by varying the dimensions of partitions 12 to meet the taste of different users.

I have shown partitions 12 as four in number equally spaced and radiating from the same axis, but it will be apparent that any desired number of partitions may be employed and they may be spaced as desired. Furthermore, I have disclosed partitions extending completely across the hollow central portion of the ball, thus dividing it into a plurality of central compartments 13. It will be apparent that with such a construction a heavy impact adjacent to one of the compartments 13 would compress the airin such compartment to a much greater extent than in the others, thus producing uneven pressure on the walls 10 and 11 of the ball. To'avoid this condition, which would subject parts of the ball toundue strain and which would tend to reduce the resiliency of the ball, I provide passages 14.- communicat- 'ing between adjacent compartments 13,

passages 14 being only of sufficient size to pressure in all compartments 13 when the ball is subjected to impact without being sufficiently large to substantially weaken partitions 12 or to reduce the stiffening effect thereof. 1

Any number and size of passages 1a may be employed, subject only to the conditions rapid pressure equalization and strength maintenance above outlined. However, I have disclosed a single passage between adj acent spaces 13, said passages being shown as located symmetrically in the same median plane, a construction which is of advantage in" certain methods of manufacture of the ball. I As the weight of a ball constructed in the manner above described and of the usual size, which is defined with considerable exactness by playing conditions, may be and ordinarily will be substantially less than that desired by the average user, I provide means for increasing the weight of the ball I position.

correct and permanent locaton of Weight 15, I

regardless of strains on the ball structure dueto playing conditions. It will be apparent, however, that other means of mounting Weight 15 in the center of the ball may be employed, the important point being that it should be permanently maintained in such Itis also desirable to increase the rigidity by filling, compartments 13 with compressed air, which serves the double purpose of increasing the resiliency of the ball for driving purposes and of maintaining it relatively rigid under the light impact of putting. In use, when the ball is subjected to heavy impact, as in driving, if the point of impact is adjacent a partition 12, the initial compressive force will be exerted on the two compartments 13 contiguous to said partition and the compression will be immediate- 1y transmitted from each of such compartments to the adjacent compartment opposite to "the point of impact; while if the point of impact is adjacent the center of a compartment 13 the resulting compression therein will be transmitted simultaneously to both adjacent compartments and then from both of said compartments to the compartment opposite to the point of impact. It is readily apparent that "this construction provides very rapidly operating and ready -means for evenly distributing the compression at the center of the ball; and the return of a distorted ball to its normal shape is corre-- spondingly facilitated, producing a very quick action-and corresponding increase in length of drive. r

It is a common practice to construct golf balls by manufacturing them in halves and then uniting the halves under heat and pressure to vulcanize them together, so'as to produce a completedball. I Y

My invention is adapted to this method on construction, Fisry2 illustrating one half of the ball in condition to be vulcanized to a similar half. In this form of construction a recess is preferably molded in-each half of the ball to provide a socket for weight '15, which is inserted in one half of the ball before the halves are brought together and canized; or if desired, they may be molded simultaneously therewith. If wall 11 is composed of one or more layers ofmaterial other than homogeneous rubber, it is preferable to provide a thin spherical inner wall of rubber to which the ends of partitions 12 I other changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of my invention as set forth in this specification and covered in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a resilient ball, a spherical resilient body portion having a hollow central core and a plurality of resilient supports for said body portion located in the core and subdividing the core into a plurality of pockets, the said resilient supports traversing the core in a plurality of directions, the supports being attached to said body portion.

2. In a resilient ball, a spherical resilient body portion having a central cavity and a olurality of resilient supports located within the cavity and engaging said body portion so as to increase the rigidity of the ball, said supports being connected to each other adjacent the center of the ball.

3. In a resilient ball, a spherical resilient body portion having a hollow central core and a plurality of resilient supports for said body portion located in the core and subdividing the core into a plurality of pockets, the said resilient supports radiating from a central point of the sphere, the supports being attached to said body portion.

l. In a resilient ball, a spherical resilient body portion having a central cavity, a plurality of resilient supports located within the cavity and engaging said body portion so as to increase the rigidity of the ball, said supports being so constructed and arranged that all parts of said central cavity are in direct connection with each other, the construction being such that compression of the contents of the cavity, caused by impact at one point on the ball, is equalized throughout all portions of the cavity.

5. In a resilient ball, a spherical resilient body portion having a hollow central cavity, and a plurality of flat partitions radiating from a common axis of the ball, extending entirely across said cavity, and engaging the body portion so as to increase its rigidity.

G. In a resilient ball, a spherical. resilient body portion having a hollow central tavity, a plurality of iiat partitions radiating from a common axis of the ball, extending entirely across said cavity and engaging the body portion so as to increase its rigidity, and a weight located at the center of the ball and imbedded in said partitions.

7. In a resilient ball, a spherical resilient body portion having a central cavity, said body portion including an outer relatively stiff wall and an inner wall substantially more resilient than said outer wall, and a plurality of resilient flat partitions radiating from a common axis of the ball, and engaging said resilient inner wall so as to increase the rigidity of the ball.

8. In a resilient ball, a spherical resilient body portion having a hollow central cavity,

and a plurality of flat partitions radiating from a common axis of the ball, extending entirely across said cavity, and engaging the body portion so as to increase its rigidity, said partitions being provided with transverse passages connecting adjacent portions of the central cavity so as to equalize the compression of the contents of the cavity when the ball is subjected to impact.

9. In a resilient ball, a spherical resilient body portion having a hollow central cavity, and a plurality of flat partitions radiating from a common axis of the ball, extending entirely across said cavity, and engaging the body portion so as to increase its rigidity, said partitions being provided with transverse passages connecting adjacent portions of the central cavity so as to equalize the compression of the contents of the cavity when the ball is subjected to impact, all of said passages being intersected by a single plane passing through the center of the ball.

10. In a resilient ball, a spherical resilient body portion having a central cavity, a wall of resilient material surrounding said cavity, and a plurality of resilient supports located Within the cavity, radiating from the center of the ball, said supports being homogeneous and integral with said resilient wall.

11. In a resilient ball, a spherical resilient body portion having a central cavity, a wall of rubber surrounding the cavity, and a plurality of rubber supports located in said cavity radiating from the center of the ball, homogeneously integrally united with said rubber wall to provide stiffening means therefor.

12. In a resilient ball, a spherical resilient body portion having a plurality of compartments therein and provided with passages connecting said compartments, and a fluid in said compartments, the construction being such that the compression of the fluid when the ball is subjected to impact will be even ly distributed throughout the compartments.

13. In a resilient ball, a spherical resilient body portion having a pliirality of oomparb" ments symmetrically iocoted about the center of the ball and provided With passages connecting said compartments; and a fluid ,in said compartments, the construct-ion being such that the compression of the fluid Ewhen the ball is subjected to impact Will be AUGUSTUS" s. GHATFIELD. 

